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Did you know that a piece of cloth from the Wright Brothers' Flyer has traveled to the moon, and Mars?

With NASA photos and playful illustrations throughout, here is an incredible slice of hidden history and an introduction to the science of air and space for all ages.

★ "A flight of fancy--and facts--sure to set aspiring scientists' imaginations soaring."--Kirkus, starred review

One day in 1903 the Wright brothers entered a department store in Ohio to buy a bolt of fabric. The plain muslin cloth was most often used to make underwear. As it happens, the Wright brothers were about to wrap the simple cloth around the ribs of a mechanical 'wing' and dramatically change the world. Sixty-six years later, in 1969, Neil Armstrongtook a big leap onto the moon. With him was a swatch of the exact fabric the bicycle mechanics had purchased in 1903. Fifty-two years after that, in 2021, a remote-controlled car-sized explorer landed on Mars. Attached to the underside of a cable was a tiny piece of very old cloth--cloth that had almost become underwear. Almost Underwear is the story of that incredible piece of fabric, and the historic 'firsts' it stitches together.

Junior Library Guild Selection
Kirkus Best of Picture Books 2024
ALSC Notable Children's Book
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee for Grades 3-5
Orange Blossom Nonfiction Award

★ "Readers with stars (and planets) in their eyes will be fascinated by this little-known swatch of detail from the story of our space program."--Booklist, starred review

★"A delight from takeoff to landing." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

When two siblings head outdoors on a nighttime hike, they experience the awe-inspiring wonders that take place in the natural world when most people are sleeping.

From the night sky with its glorious celestial displays to the nocturnal insects and animals that only venture out in the dark, there's an abundance of activity going on once the sun goes down and the stars come out. Tree frogs chirp their throaty songs, bats soar after buzzing mosquitoes, and a Luna moth flutters on its angel-like wings. But finally, it's time to head back home to a cozy bed, and dream of the next night's outdoor adventure.

Rhyming text and lush artwork bring the wonders of the nocturnal natural world to life. Back matter includes information about the celestial objects and the nocturnal creatures featured throughout the book, as well as an explanation of light pollution and how it affects wildlife.

In the second volume of Mousse--a new series for early readers--Mousse and Barnacle take a trip to the beach, where the addition of a new friend makes Mousse jealous.

Mousse wakes up to a clap of thunder and pouring rain. He tries to enjoy his coffee in his favorite armchair, but the tide washes into his living room with wave after wave. When he goes out to the beach to collect the day's treasures, he doesn't find anything--or anyone. Where has everyone gone?

"They've all left for the South," a mussel calls out.

So Mousse decides to head South, too, to take a much deserved vacation. Surrounded by velvety sand and colorful shells, he invites his good friend Barnacle to join him. They relax on the beach, take a mud bath and a dip. Everything about the trip is going as planned, until Felix starts tagging along, and three feels like company . . .

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection.

A young boy learns about the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival from his grandfather when he attends his first dragon boat race.

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, ushering in the start of summer. On the night before the Dragon Boat Festival, a young boy asks his grandfather how the dragon boat races first began. His grandfather tells him that legend has it that the races started in the ancient time of the Dragon King, when every lake and river had a guardian dragon. Dragons symbolize good luck, and have great power, especially over water and weather.

On race day at the harbor, all the boats have a carved dragon head on their bows. As a final touch, to wake up their team's boat, the boy paints in the dragon's eye. But once the race is underway, their team's dragon boat is in last place. How can they wake their dragon?

A compelling, real-life account of how scientists uncovered air pollution's deadly impact on human health--and the contentious battles to use key scientific evidence in the critical fight for clean air.

Particles of Truth is a riveting account of the discovery of the critical health effects of air pollution told by Arden Pope and Douglas Dockery, who have been at the forefront of air pollution and health research for four decades. With an insightful foreword by former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, this compelling book provides an inside look at groundbreaking scientific research and ensuing political and public-policy battles. It presents evidence that air pollution is a major contributor to disease and death and that reducing air pollution saves lives. The book also delves into intense efforts to discredit and cast doubt on the science.

Through firsthand accounts, Pope and Dockery bring the scientific discoveries regarding the health effects of air pollution and accompanying controversies to life. They describe the real-world challenges of conducting impactful research when public health clashes with economic interests and politics. Despite these challenges, they and their colleagues persisted, accumulating evidence that supports landmark clean-air legislation and pollution reduction efforts worldwide. More than an inside look at pioneering air pollution research and the hidden health burden of air pollution, Particles of Truth is a story of determination and perseverance by those working to protect air quality and our health; indeed, their efforts have contributed to improvements in public health and an increase in longevity. For anyone interested in public health, environmental quality, or public policy, this is a must-read book that takes you to the front lines of discovery and controversy.

A vibrant comic that sheds light on the inclusive and life-changing world of skating and all things skate culture, featuring brand new art from award-winning creator of In Waves, AJ Dungo.

Welcome to the weird and welcoming world of skating; the sport which has become a way of life for so many across the globe. In his latest graphic novel, In Waves creator AJ Dungo and writer Brandon Dumais join forces to explore this life-changing sport from their personal journeys and the history of skateboarding, showing how skating empowers people, reclaims seemingly desolate spaces, and includes everyone from all walks of life.

20,000 acres of wetlands in northern New Jersey - 5 miles from Times Square in New York City - were once home to hundreds of species of plants and animals. Since European explorers first arrived in the Meadowlands, people have all but destroyed it. Still, signs of life remain―under bridges, on the edges of parking lots, and beside train tracks. Slowly but surely, with help from activist groups, government organizations, and ordinary people, the resilient creatures of the Meadowlands are making a comeback, and the wetlands are recovering.

ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 - The definitive history of Russia's most secret spy program, from the earliest days of the Soviet Union to Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and a revelatory examination of how that hidden history shaped both Russia and the West.

More than a century ago, the new Bolshevik government began sending Soviet citizens abroad as deep-cover spies, training them to pose as foreign aristocrats, merchants, and students. Over time, this grew into the most ambitious espionage program in history. Many intelligence agencies use undercover operatives, but the KGB was the only one to go to such lengths, spending years training its spies in language and etiquette, and sending them abroad on missions that could last for decades. These spies were known as "illegals." During the Second World War, illegals were dispatched behind enemy lines to assassinate high-ranking Nazis. Later, in the Cold War, they were sent to assimilate and lie low as sleepers in the West. The greatest among them performed remarkable feats, while many others failed in their missions or cracked under the strain of living a double life.

Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, as well as archival research in more than a dozen countries, Shaun Walker brings this history to life in a page-turning tour de force that takes us into the heart of the KGB's most secretive program. A riveting spy drama peopled with richly drawn characters, The Illegals also uncovers a hidden thread in the story of Russia itself. As Putin extols Soviet achievements and the KGB's espionage prowess, and Moscow continues to infiltrate illegals across the globe, this timely narrative shines new light on the long arc of the Soviet experiment, its messy aftermath, and its influence on our world at large.

When the girls at school show off their shiny new bracelets, newly arrived immigrant Tien is embarrassed by the plain jade bracelet she wears as a symbol of her Vietnamese heritage.

Although Tien loves the Vietnamese traditions her family celebrates, more than anything she wants to fit in at school and be just like her classmates. So, when all the girls start wearing brand-new sparkly bracelets, Tien tries to hide the simple jade bangle her mother gave her in memory of her grandmother. Now her bracelet looks like an old green thing and an embarrassed Tien runs home crying, flinging it on the floor. Her sympathetic mama understands and takes Tien to the shop to buy the popular bracelet. But at the last minute, Tien remembers her grandmother's love and decides to wear her jade bracelet proudly.

The Jade Bracelet is based on the author's own experience of being the new kid at school and wanting to blend in. Now an elementary teacher, Hà Dinh encourages her immigrant students to share and honor their family's traditions.

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection.

A picture book about the restoration of Big Boy 4014, the world's largest steam locomotive.

In the 1940s, the ground rumbled as they thundered across the United States, 25 600-ton steam locomotives called Big Boys. These mammoth engines were built to pull trains transporting soldiers and freight, supporting the war effort.

When less-expensive diesel-electric engines became popular, Big Boy engines were pulled from service, either to be scrapped or sent to museums and other venues as exhibits. Big Boy 4014 pulled her last train in 1959. She spent most of her retirement in California at an outdoor train museum. People came from around the world to visit, marveling at her size.

But one day in 2013, a different group of visitors came to see Big Boy 4014. This group wondered what it would take to get her back on the tracks. May 9, 2019, would be the Golden Spike Celebration, the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Could Big Boy 4014 be restored in time for the celebration? Would she ever roll on the rails again?

Readers of all ages are taken on a journey with Big Boy 4014, from stranded icon to restoration to the 150th Golden Spike anniversary, and then onto excursion tours. Back matter includes photos and additional facts about the Big Boys steam engines.

Explore the construction site with this push, pull, and slide book!

Explore and learn all about the construction site and construction vehicles with this interactive book that's full of diggers and dump trucks to move as you push, pull, and slide the card tabs on the pages!

There is a chunky card mechanism on each page to push, pull, or slide to make the noisy construction pictures come to life! The simple, easy-to-read story accompanies bright and friendly illustrations of busy construction scenes that feature lots of things to see and say as you read through the book.

The sturdy card push and pull mechanisms are perfect for little hands to interact with as they move the machines and discover the additional construction-themed facts on each noisy scene.

A Taiwanese-American girl is nervous about visiting Taiwan-- until her paternal grandmother, her Nainai, takes her on a mountain-climbing adventure and shows her its wonders.

Traveling from California to Taiwan for the first time, even with her parents and her Nainai around her, is a lot for a little girl to take in. The plane ride lasts forever, she can't read any of the signs, and she's worried there will be unfamiliar bugs.

But then Nainai becomes her tour guide, and Taiwan transforms. As they huff and puff up Nainai's favorite mountain, stomachs full of bao and juicy sausage, Nainai spins yarns about riding to the movies in pedicabs, eating frozen pineapple, and playing pinball to win snacks. Even the bugs turn out to be more cool than scary.

At the top of the mountain is a surprise: all sorts of people playing and exercising--and they all remember Nainai. The little girl is filled with pride when they can tell just who she is: "your granddaughter!"

Author Livia Blackburne shares an author's note about the inspiration she drew from childhood visits to Taiwan, her parents' childhoods there, and her own mountain-climbing grandmother. The deep well of lived experience is evident on every page, and is perfectly evoked by Joey Chou's intricate, colorful illustration. Whether it's a reflection of home or a window into somewhere brand-new, kids, grandparents, and everyone in between will love following Nainai to the top of her mountain.